Boeing Lands $20B+ Contract for Sixth-Gen Fighter

The US Navy has awarded Boeing a massive contract worth more than $20 billion to build its sixth-generation F/A-XX fighter, a next-generation aircraft that will replace the aging F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler. The contract comes after months of delays in down-selecting a company for the project.

Boeing beat out Northrop Grumman to secure both the F/A-XX contract and the F-47 program, which was awarded in March 2025. President and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security Steve Parker stated that delivering two advanced fighters in parallel was always the plan, and the company has invested accordingly.

The F/A-XX falls under the US military's Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program and is expected to provide carrier-based power projection. The aircraft will operate alongside crewed fighters like the F-35C and with uncrewed platforms like the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). While technical details are classified, the navy revealed in August that the F/A-XX is expected to carry Raytheon's AIM-424 'Malice' long-range air-to-air missile.